Thousands of people of Bhola and Feni have been marooned after flood control embankments collapsed and submerged large areas on the coastal areas.
In six upazilas of Bhola, strong tides damaged embankments and sea water flooded nearly a hundred villages, leaving over 200,000 people marooned.
Over the last four months, the area has been inundated by sea water seven different times.
When the tropical storm Mahasen swept across the coastal region, tidal surges that followed severely damaged infrastructure in the area and washed away over 20km of flood control embankments, which are yet to be repaired.
Local residents said the damage embankments could not stop flooding, especially when there were unusually high tides. Over 100 villages have been submerged by sea water in Bhola sadar, Char Burhanuddin, Daulatkhan, Manpura, Tazimuddin and Char Fasson.
Communication in these areas has become difficult as roads and other infrastructure have been washed away by rising tidal water, flooding streets and crop land.
Outbreaks of various waterborne diseases are being reported from the areas affected.
Thousands of people stranded in the area want an end to their sufferings. They have been demanding the government take immediate steps to repair the damaged structures and rebuild embankments that were washed away.
Laiju Akther a resident of Bhola sadar’s Kachiya said she hasn’t been able to cook for several days after her home was flooded.
Another resident Shiuli Akhtar said: “We do not need any disaster relief from the government. If the government repairs the embankment, our problems will be solved.”
When Bhola Water Development Board (WDB) was asked about the situation executive engineer Abdul Hannan said construction on the dams had been disrupted due to tidal water flow. He said they would resume work as soon as the water pressure abated.
Deputy Commissioner of Bhola Khandakar Mostafizur Rahman said under VGF programme, the government had allocated rice to feed 75,400 families affected for at least three months.
“The rice is being distributed among the people affected in phases. Those who have been marooned will benefit to some extent from the relief distributions,” he said.
Meanwhile, three different parts of the flood control embankment in Feni’s Sonagazi upazila collapsed over last few days, and threatens the life and livelihood of 50,000 people in two unions.
Thousands of people from Charchandia and Chardarbesh unions are worried about flooding as the river rises.
Chairman of the local union parishad (UP) Abul Kalam Azad said: “Thousands of acres of cropland will be damaged and at least 50,000 will be affected if there is flooding because authorities did not repair the embankment at vulnerable points.”
Locals alleged that the authorities did not take any measures to repair the damages to the dyke, which lead to its collapse at several points because of heavy rainfall all week.
Chariman of Charchandia UP Shamsuzzaman Khokon said: “After visiting the area, we have allotted Tk40,000 for the two unions to repair the dykes immediately.”
WDB’s executive engineer in the area Rafique Ullah said they were taking necessary measures to prevent flooding but it was not possible to start renovations on the dykes until the rains stopped. He said for repair work to start they would have to wait until the dry season.